The Demon Collector

by Jon Mayhew

  ‘Never mind him, man,’ Mauldeth hissed. ‘Show us to our rooms.’

  Absalom inclined his head. ‘As you wish, y’lordship,’ he said. ‘Follow me.’ He led them out of the room.

  ‘Don’t worry, Edgy, we’ll be close at hand should you need us.’ Janus smiled as Absalom led him away.

  The latch rattled as he shut the door and Edgy suddenly felt quite alone. He shivered and threw a log on the fire, watching the shower of sparks go up the chimney. The wind moaned outside and the room seemed to darken. Chewing at the crust of bread, Edgy found the trunk and dragged it from under the bench, pulling thick woollen blankets from it. Soon he had made himself a nest in front of the fire.

  He could hear the brothers moving around upstairs, their feet thumping on the floorboards. Edgy could pick out Mauldeth’s complaining nasal tones and Janus’s muttering, gravelly voice. Soon they died down, leaving only the wind, a ticking clock and the spitting fire. Edgy squeezed his eyes shut.

  Sleep came in fits and starts. A gust of wind slipped cold air under the door, waking him and making his legs numb. The ashes of the fire collapsed through the grate and the air cooled on Edgy’s face. In his interrupted dreams, Janus leered at him and Salomé frowned, her green eyes hard and unforgiving. She held something in her clenched fist. Blood oozed from between her fingers, dripping on the floor. Edgy crept closer as Salomé extended her arm, opening her fist for him to see. A heart pumped in the palm of her hand, red and black, quivering with each beat.

  With a gasp, Edgy awoke, sitting upright, bathed in sweat, his own heart pounding. The room lay in darkness apart from the feeble glow from the dying fire and the starlight through the window.

  A floorboard creaked.

  Edgy threw himself down and pulled the blankets right over his head.

  The fire hissed.

  Edgy curled up tightly in a ball, hugging the warm blankets to him.

  Something moved in the corner of the room.

  Edgy held his breath.

  ‘Edgy?’ a voice hissed. ‘Edgy Taaaylor?’

  Edgy froze. He couldn’t move. Maybe if he stayed still whoever or whatever it was would go away and leave him alone. He tried to control his panting breath. The blood hammered in his chest and temples.

  And then a footfall. Only it wasn’t a foot. Edgy knew that. He could tell by the short, sharp rap. It was the sound Talon had made whenever he crept around the tannery. A cloven hoof.

  There he met with Pretty Polly, all in the gores of blood,

  In her lily white arms an infant of mine,

  Such screaming and hollering, it all passed away.

  A debt to the devil he surely had to pay.

  ‘The Cruel House Carpenter’, traditional folk ballad

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  A Curious Offer

  Edgy opened one eye. A green glow from outside filtered through his blankets. The demon wouldn’t just go away. He knew that. Trembling, he pulled the covers down. The room looked eerie in the emerald light that emanated from a pulsing rock in the demon’s right hand. It stood over him, ram-headed, cloven-hoofed, glaring down with fiery eyes.

  ‘Belphagor,’ Edgy croaked, recognising the demon from their encounter at the Green Man Inn.

  ‘You recognise me then,’ Belphagor said mockingly. ‘And you’re right to be afraid, Edgy Taylor. I haven’t forgotten my last humiliation at your hands.’

  Edgy’s heart pounded. He tried to cry out but his throat was dry. ‘What do you want?’ he whispered, choking out the words.

  ‘There are many things I want, Edgy Taylor,’ Belphagor spat. ‘Your head on a chain around my neck would please me but I am bound not to harm you. I’m merely a messenger.’

  ‘A messenger?’ Edgy asked, swallowing hard but relaxing just a little. ‘Who for?’

  ‘Why, for Salomé, of course,’ Belphagor said, sitting himself down in front of Edgy and throwing the glowing stone into the hearth. It flashed, setting a fire of crackling green flames and flooding the room with heat.

  ‘Salomé?’ Edgy said, confused. ‘But I thought –’

  ‘You thought what? That Salomé and I were enemies? Just because I wouldn’t tell her what I knew about the location of Moloch’s body? You’ve a lot to learn about demons, Edgy Taylor.’

  Edgy sat silently, hugging the blankets around him.

  Belphagor continued, ‘After you found me at the Green Man Inn, I had nowhere to go. That was my home, I had friends there.’

  Edgy hadn’t really imagined that demons could enjoy friendship or value having a home. He thought of Trimdon and his pride in serving the Society. Spinorix was Edgy’s friend.

  ‘But you and your stonemason friends never consider that,’ Belphagor sneered. ‘To you we’re just trophies, speci­mens to be collected. I took myself to Salomé, traded my information for her protection.’

  ‘Was it you who damaged our engine?’ Edgy croaked.

  Belphagor shook his head. ‘No, I didn’t. You need to look closer to home for that. You are in danger, Edgy Taylor. Salomé says you should run. Flee this place now and she won’t pursue you. Just go and lose yourself.’

  ‘Why would Salomé say that?’ Edgy spat, anger boiling up inside him. ‘She’s tried to kill me twice.’

  ‘Could have killed you twice and many times besides, but didn’t. Ask yourself why she hasn’t visited you on that pathetic tub bobbing about on the sea,’ Belphagor said, his voice cold and haughty. He held out his palm, revealing a gold charm shaped like a horned skull and tied to a leather lace. ‘Take this if you will not flee. Just hold it and call Salomé’s name. She’ll come to your aid.’

  Edgy didn’t move. It had to be some kind of trick. But there was no disputing that his life was in danger. Slowly, he reached out to take it.

  The door crashed open and Janus stood snarling at Belphagor. In his hands, Edgy could see the dull grey cylinder of an ossifier.

  Belphagor launched himself to his feet and extended a hand but Janus had already pulled the trigger. A hollow thump sent the deadly dirty snowball hurtling across the room. It struck Belphagor in the side of the head. He dropped the charm into Edgy’s lap and fell to his knees, hitting the floorboards with a crash, his entire body turned to stone.

  Janus ran forward. ‘What did he say?’ he snapped, holding the ossifier in one hand, grasping Edgy’s upper arm in the other. ‘What did he tell you?’

  Edgy had slipped the unseen charm under the covers. He stared at Janus’s wild face, looking at a man he didn’t recognise. His features were twisted, contorted with hatred. His eyes looked cold. It wasn’t Janus. Not the one Edgy knew anyway. His grip was tight and hurt Edgy’s arm.

  ‘Nothin’, he didn’t tell me nothin’,’ Edgy said. ‘He just told me to run away.’

  Mauldeth appeared at the doorway in a long nightshirt. ‘Edgy, what happened?’

  ‘Belphagor . . . ’e told me to run away. Said Salomé wanted me to run away,’ Edgy panted, pulling away from Janus’s hold and massaging his arm. ‘Said ’e wanted to kill me but Salomé wouldn’t let ’im.’ He stared at the statue kneeling on the floor.

  ‘Well, he can’t harm you now,’ Janus said, heaving a sigh. He glanced at Edgy again, a frown flitting across his brow. ‘You’re sure he didn’t say anything else?’

  ‘For goodness’s sake, Envry,’ Mauldeth complained. ‘Give the boy a chance to gather his wits. What else is the creature likely to have said?’

  Janus shot Mauldeth a poisonous glance but kept quiet.

  The first glimmers of dawn were beginning to break through the darkness outside. Edgy looked around. ‘Where’s Mr Absalom?’ he said. Surely all the noise would have woken him. He’d want to know what was going on in his inn.

  ‘I fear the Mr Absalom we spoke to last night may well have been Belphagor in disguise,’ Mauldeth murmured, frowning and rubbing his chin.

  ‘He nearly fooled me at the Green Man Inn,’ Edgy remembered.

  Mauldeth ignored his comme
nt and continued, ‘Strange that Salomé would send you such a message. And why would she stop Belphagor harming you?’

  ‘Who knows? She’s up to something and I don’t like it,’ Janus snapped. ‘I suggest we get back to the ship as quickly as possible.’

  McFarland and the other sailors looked sprightly and winked at Edgy as he and the two fellows trudged along the jetty to the boat.

  ‘I trust the lodgings were to your satisfaction, sirs,’ McFarland said, smiling.

  Janus shot him a flinty glare. It was as if McFarland knew that something had happened, Edgy thought.

  Edgy could see Captain Boyd waiting on-board as they rowed out to the ship. He paced back and forth, pulling a fob watch from his waistcoat pocket every few seconds as if that would make McFarland and his crew row any harder.

  Mauldeth sat silently, his gaze wandering between Edgy and Janus. Edgy coughed and stared at the bottom of the boat when Mauldeth stared at him but his lordship was lost in thought.

  ‘At last,’ Boyd called as they clambered up the side of the ship and on to the deck. ‘As soon as we get the engine part fitted we’ll get under way.’

  ‘Should we tell him about what happened last night, sir?’ Edgy whispered to Janus, watching as the captain followed his men and the engine part down below.

  Janus shook his head. ‘I think not. Sailors are a superstitious lot.’

  A few sailors glanced round at the word ‘superstitious’. Janus stepped closer to Edgy.

  ‘Don’t they know what we’re looking for?’ Edgy whispered, eyeing the men as they strode up the ship to their duties. ‘Not even Captain Boyd?’

  ‘Captain Boyd knows. He told the crew we were looking for specimens of wildlife,’ Mauldeth cut in. ‘But I wouldn’t mention it, all the same.’

  ‘But we can trust Captain Boyd –’ Edgy began.

  ‘It was Boyd who recommended the lodgings. Trust no one, Edgy,’ Mauldeth said, staring deep into Edgy’s eyes. ‘It’s a good rule to live by when dealing with demons.’

  Edgy didn’t reply. How could you go through life not trusting anyone? He trusted Mr Janus. Didn’t he? His fingers rose to the gold pendant that hung around his neck under his shirt. Is that why I didn’t tell him about the charm? Or was it the look on Janus’s face after he had ossified Belphagor? Edgy shivered.

  By midday, the engines pounded once more and Edgy’s stomach lurched as the ship cut through the rolling waves. Captain Boyd’s face seemed more ruddy than ever as he breathed in the salt air.

  ‘Inform Mr Janus that we are moving again, please, Mr Taylor,’ he said, giving Edgy a nod. Edgy smiled back and hurried down below to pass the message on.

  The door was ajar when Edgy arrived and he glimpsed Janus sitting hunched over The Legends of Moloch. He slammed the book shut with a thud as Edgy entered.

  ‘Ah, Edgy. Just doing some more research, y’know,’ Janus said. He rubbed his palms along the cover of the book.

  ‘We’re back on course, Captain Boyd says,’ Edgy replied. ‘Are you all right, Mr Janus?’

  ‘What? Yes, fine, fine,’ Janus said, clapping his hands together. ‘Never better. Back on course, excellent! Time is pressing on – we only have five days to reach our destination. Now, you go about your duties, lad. I’ve got more research to do.’ He sat, hands on his knees, staring at Edgy, waiting for him to leave.

  ‘Righto, sir,’ Edgy said, backing out of the room and closing the door behind him. He turned and almost walked straight into Lord Mauldeth. Edgy braced himself, waiting for the curses.

  ‘Have you recovered from your encounter with Belphagor, Edgy?’ Mauldeth said. Edgy half opened his mouth in surprise. Mauldeth continued without waiting for him to answer. ‘I’m worried about Envry. I’ve seen him like this before . . . a long time ago. A little . . . preoccupied with his thoughts.’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ Edgy muttered, uncertain what else to say.

  ‘Be careful,’ Mauldeth said as Edgy clambered towards the deck.

  The days passed quickly. Edgy began to find the rocking and plunging of the ship less sickening. The sea grew blacker and the sky white. He stood on deck staring at the icy water, wondering if all colour had been bleached from the world and if he would ever see land again. Shivering, he pulled the oilskin jacket closer over the thick jumper he had been given. Even with these extra layers, the cold gnawed at him. Breath steamed from his nose and mouth like the smoke from the funnel of Lord Byron’s Maggot. From time to time, he spotted something black and glistening twisting up out of the water and then back under without a splash.

  ‘Haven’t seen anything myself,’ Janus murmured when Edgy reported it. ‘But we need to be vigilant.’ He slammed his fist on the deck rail. ‘Can’t this damnable ship go any faster?’ he spat.

  ‘The sea and the cold play tricks, Edgy,’ Captain Boyd said. ‘Sometimes a diving seal looks huge and yet it’s far away. Whales inhabit these parts and often you only see their backs or top fins. I wouldn’t fret.’

  The days grew shorter as the steamship powered its way north. Soon they seemed to be in perpetual night or, at best, a feeble grey twilight. Crystal flowers of ice bloomed on the railings and sails. Ropes turned white with frost. Only the black funnel repelled the white coating as it pumped out thick smoke and heat.

  ‘We’re into the frozen North now, Edgy,’ Captain Boyd said to him one day. ‘Be sure to keep well wrapped up. Don’t let your bare skin touch anything here – hands, nose, cheeks or chin – or it’ll freeze and be stuck fast. Try and free yourself then and you’ll tear the flesh from your bones.’

  Edgy threw himself into washing shirts, polishing boots – anything that kept him below decks and took his thoughts off the questions that jostled in his mind. What is Salomé up to? Edgy’s hand went to the charm. Why have I hung it around my neck? he wondered. Does she honestly think I’m goin’ to summon her after all she’s done? Is someone on board tryin’ to kill me or just stop the ship from gettin’ to its destination?

  ‘Trust no one,’ Mauldeth had said. But could he trust Mauldeth? Why was he so concerned about Edgy all of a sudden?

  A rap on his door cut his thoughts dead. Mortesque Sokket’s grey face appeared around it. His eyes glittered and his breathing was rapid.

  ‘Are you all right, Mr Sokket?’ Edgy asked. ‘If you don’t mind me sayin’ so, sir, you look like you might ’ave a touch of fever.’

  ‘Come with me,’ Sokket said, his voice hoarse. ‘I have to show you something.’ He disappeared behind the door and Edgy jumped up, following him up on deck.

  ‘Mr Sokket, if it’s somethin’ important maybe I should get Mr Janus,’ Edgy began.

  Sokket’s eyes widened and he waved his hands in front of him, shaking his head frantically. ‘No, no,’ he croaked, his breath billowing in the cold air. ‘Not him, not him. Just come with me.’

  Edgy frowned and followed Sokket to the bow of the ship. Stars winked in the reddening sky; a brief dawn before the plunge back into darkness. Here, the full brunt of the sea hit the ship. Hissing streamers of foam leapt over the bow and into Edgy’s face. The wind tousled his thick black hair and drew tears from his eye. The horizon swung up and down, movement exaggerated by the bowsprit, a huge pole that pointed out the direction they were heading in. Ropes rattled against the bowsprit, the sheets lashed to it snapped and cracked in the icy wind. Even the pounding of the engine was lost in this storm of wind and wave.

  ‘What is it, Mr Sokket?’ Edgy called.

  Sokket leaned over the side of the ship, stabbing his finger at the thrashing tide. ‘Porpoises! Edgy, have you ever seen porpoises running alongside the bow of the ship?’ Sokket gave a forced smile. His eyes glowed as he gestured to the side. ‘Porpoises, Edgy, look!’

  Porpoises? Edgy thought about the black shape he’d seen writhing in the water. Could it have been a porpoise? It’s worth checking.

  Edgy shuffled next to Sokket, gingerly leaning over the side. The black water streamed past, cut by the sharp
bow of the ship.

  ‘I can’t see –’ Edgy began.

  Then a bony hand gripped his ankles and the world turned upside down. For a split second, Edgy wondered quite what had happened and then he realised he was falling towards the water.

  They sewed his body all up in an old cow’s hide,

  And they cast the gallant cabin boy over the ship’s side,

  And left him without more ado adrifting in the tide

  To sink in the lowlands low.

  ‘The Golden Vanity’, traditional folk song

  Chapter Thirty

  A Scramble for Life

  Time seemed to slow for Edgy. He could hear the blood pulsing around his temples like the thumping of the ship’s steam engine. Every breath roared in his ears like a rush of steam. He noticed the craggy blackness of the ship’s hull, the barnacles that crusted the overlapping coarse planks. Huge tongues of water licked up the side towards him. Icy spray stung his cheek, the cold stealing his breath. Black, tarry ropes dangled in loops to his right and he glimpsed the criss-cross mesh of netting that swung beneath the bowsprit.

  He snatched at the passing ropes. Fire seared across the palm of his hand and up his arm as he stopped with a jerk that threatened to break his grip. With a sob, Edgy snapped his other hand on to the rope, blotting out the grating pain as it cut into his hands. Seawater lashed at him, soaking him to the skin and threatening to pull him down. He scrabbled his feet against the crusty side of the ship and peered up.

  Sokket stared down, his eyes wide and white against the grey of his face. He grinned mirthlessly, showing his yellowed teeth. Flecks of spit drooled down his chin.

  ‘Damn your black heart, Taylor,’ he snarled, leaning over. ‘Why don’t you just die?’

  Gritting his teeth, Edgy swung himself to his left towards the net that rippled beneath the bowsprit. If he could get there, he might be safe. The sea slapped salty waves at him, numbing him even through his thick clothes and slamming him into the hull. The net came closer and then lurched away, grazing the tips of Edgy’s extended fingers. Edgy looked up as he swung back.